All posts by ABMWPblog1

My career has bridged over six decades, in the advertising and marketing industry. Having experienced working for: agencies, studios, publishers, manufactures, distributors, organizations, business to business, retailers, catalogers and e-tailers as an employee, consultant, or supplier provides a base of knowledge both practiced and proven. Creating, then manufacturing and fulfilling items of all kinds has built an extensive knowledge bank of how to get things started and done. Providing practical analysis of Product to Market and Market to consumer has been at the forefront of my career. Creating “art that works… not works of art” and looking at things “where they live” are the focal point of every project. As a result of my involvement and a commitment to these basics, many of the companies served have survived, grown and prospered. To learn more about me and follow my weekly posts log on and like “allthings abmadcouncil” on face book alan b.meschkow 11/21/2014

Re-Discovering an Old Talent; or Back to Basics…

alan at work
Back to being an artist and enjoying it!

If you read my story “adman’s chronicle” I talk about my love for pencil artwork. You will also learn in other blog posts how for my entire career I created and produced a myriad of advertising and marketing campaigns and materials that I referred to as “art that works not works of art”. For nearly 6 decades my call to action has been a client based need, answered by my plan of action. That plan of action typically involved a graphic element; at that point my artistic ability was put to work and returned to my tool box till needed again.

In June of 2016 our Grand Dog Ceazar succumbed to the horrors of Canine Cancer. Soon after we accompanied our Son to a dog breeder where he selected a beautiful Whippet Puppy; during this engagement we fell in love with the runt of the litter. Within weeks after 14 years we were back to being dog owners. Zara immediately took over our life our home and our daily routines. Whippets are a great breed; smart, impetuous, quiet, clean, loyal, loving, and beautiful; however their biggest joy is, running like the wind in pursuit of what they are focused on. If you own a whippet part of their daily routine should be some form of running, walking, and fetching activity. To do this you need to find dog friendly parks, trails, and beaches. With 2 whippets in our family, we do many together activities, especially when we are home in New York.

Zara and CJ our Whippets
Zara and Champion CJ; brother and sister Hiking mates

Early one morning in august of 2018 on a 3-4 mile hike I mentioned to my son “I really wonder if I could still draw” some other conversation continued. That thought kept coming back…again and again over the next couple of days. You cannot believe the stress that developed in my head. No matter the reason I had not picked up a pencil, pen or brush to do anything that wasn’t fee based in over 50 years, art was not a hobby, art was for one purpose “being the end to a means” arts only joy was a completed paid for retainer, period.

      It took a few days and I relented. I went into my art supply storage bin. I took out the basics; a non repro-blue pencil, a pink pearl eraser, and 2 #2 pencils and some bright white paper. I sat down at my desk not a drawing board and froze. What should I draw? Oh S—T!… OK! as a kid I loved to draw and design cars. After a few minutes I pulled out a photo I had taken a few days earlier of a 1947 Hudson Yute…after an hour or so the sketch was done…OK I can draw!  “No big deal, my early career involved all sorts of industrial illustrations in; pencil, pen, ink and airbrush.“ nuts bolts, industrial equipment, the LEM, scientific experiments, buildings, electronics, appliances, graphs, charts, ships hulls, you paid I drew it!” This was not what I wanted; I guess I wanted to see if I actually could enjoy drawing.

My very first dog illustration Breed-Whippet

      I thought for a while and decided to challenge myself, except for a few requirements I rarely needed to illustrate people and animals in realistic forms. So rather than insulting my Grand Children! I pulled out a photo of Zara and worked for quite a while. In the background I listened to a little Margaretville and Wow! I found it…Since then I have worked on many 8”x 10”s of AKC breeds and some of Zara’s Friends. My intention is to illustrate every AKC breed. With Zara, and her original portrait as my inspiration. I have launched a “Pinterest” Gallery to exhibit all AKC breeds as well as one for Mix Breeds. I am working on a website offering commissioned portraits of your dogs. If you would like your dog to be part of the AKC or Mixed Breed Collection there will be special offer.

If you would like Your Pet to become part of my Gallery or would like to be on a list of my gallery special promotions please Login Here…

Thank you for your interest,

alan b. meschkow

Commission an Original Pencil Portrait…or become a fan

gallery opening
Zara and alan

Please fill out the contact form. If you would like me to call include a US Phone Number. I will call or email you upon receipt. Please Include Dog Name, Breed, Age, any discount code in Message Block. Or to become a fan just include in the message area “make me a Fan

alan at work
Thank you I will be in touch soon…

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For your security please give me permission to contact you in reference to your pets portrait by entering (please contact me) in Subject Block.

Contact me About Advertising Then and Now!

If you’re a business owner, student, advertising and marketing professional; or if you just need a sounding board. I may be able to help. My career has been full of interesting conversation. So contact me and perhaps, we may start a dialog that is beneficial to both of us. Just fill out the contact form and I will be in touch.

 

alan at work
thinking about advertising…

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The Big “SALES TAX” Dilemma!

“Wow…Geee…I can’t believe…B.S….Not Fare….I give up…Great…It’s about time”…Yes yesterday June 21st 2018 marked the day that the United States Supreme Court put into law that all states should collect sales tax on internet sales. Everyone who is Continue reading The Big “SALES TAX” Dilemma!

Black or Bleak Friday!

Retail’s Black Friday has been around since merchants went from red to black on their sales ledgers around the Friday after Thanksgiving. There was a time that Black Friday sales were like the icing on a cake, topping off a successful year or surviving another year, and customers waited with dreams of savings on this very special day: today customers have seen one day sales turn into preview day and day after sales and so has Black Friday expanded. Black Friday has become the expected not the phenomena for both consumer and marketer.

As with all great advertising and marketing campaigns some remain timely and others go. Just a few decades back it was O% financing and 10% off!

10% OFF and 0% financing ROP print ads

Over time certain campaigns seem to always work: Grand Openings, Birthday, and Going out of Business sales. This all went well through the 1900’s; and with the  start of the new millennium it all has changed. Our buying habits have changed and so has the marketplace.

Many of you may remember the effects of; multi-sectioned  newspapers, cable television, paid for radio, on the way merchants went to market. Today we are reached with new and very different delivery sources and media “the internet and social media”. Advertisers and marketers don’t control e-commerce audiences and today you can go directly to your audience without traditional media. It is no longer “Location, Location, Location, its Audience, Audience, Audience for many successful businesses.

One thing that has remained constant is that there is only a certain amount of money divided among the merchants in the market place. This money is spent as consumer see fit. The 2017 Holiday Season is unique, there are 5 weekends between Thanksgiving and Christmas, 31 Shopping days and the stronger influence of e-commerce and cyber Monday.

In 1863 President Lincoln declared Thanksgiving would be celebrated on the Fourth Thursday of November as a way to unite the nation. In 1939, 1940, and 1941 President Roosevelt moved Thanksgiving to the third Thursday of November to lengthen the shopping season; that was quickly rescinded when congress acted in 1941. The fact is the holiday season ranges from 26 days to 32 days. My experience indicated that although the amount of days to shop is important, 4 or 5 weekends has a greater effect on traditional retail with a 1 week lull after Black Friday and a very strong last weekend of sales before Christmas day. Another factor is that within the weeks between Thanksgiving and Christmas was a Chanukah Bump during the 8 day celebration. The 5 weekend season also creates a 5 weekend campaign as opposed to 4 this certainly can affect profits and the bottom line.

This year “Amazon Days” success proved that targeted audience marketing is a force to reckon with. Retailers are aggressively positioning themselves to capture their share of the holiday season. Consumers are checking the ads, the internet, and are prepared with smart technology devices. Statistics’ will declare the winners and losers of the 2017 Holiday Season and the evolution of the market place will continue…So Black or Bleak lets all hope the spirit of the Holidays Lives On…

By the way “Yes Virginia there is a Santa Clause

All the best for a Happy, Healthy Holiday Season & New Year 2017 alan b. meschkow

AMAZON DAZE!

Thoughts on Mass Media and Audience Driven Markets…
 I have always looked at businesses as living breathing entities. Just like the people who own them and the people who frequent them; businesses are affected by time and the changes time brings.

My years in the adverting industry during the mid 1960’s through the early 2000’s were dominated by traditional retailing and B to B activities. At first new technology and computers changed the Continue reading AMAZON DAZE!